Shami not ready for New Zealand Tests; Bumrah named vice-captain

India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with pretty much the same squad that took on Bangladesh in September – that means Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered in time for what will be India’s last red-ball action ahead of the five-Test series in Australia to close out this year. Yash Dayal, who had received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh series, also missed out.

Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain for the three Tests against New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma in doubt for the first Test against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22, there is now more focus on India’s vice-captain.

India did not have a designated vice-captain for their most recent Test series against Bangladesh but Bumrah has performed the role for India in the past when he was the vice-captain in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later, he served in the position in the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and then in the five-Test series earlier this year against England.

Bumrah has also led India once in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19.

As for Shami, he is working his way back from an ankle injury for which he required surgery. He last played a competitive match in November 2023 – the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was hoped he would return to full match fitness during India’s ongoing home season, ahead of the marquee series in Australia.

Tearaway Mayank Yadav, who made his T20I debut for India earlier this month against Bangladesh, will join the squad as a travelling reserve along with Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India play three Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on October 16 in Bengaluru. That’s followed by Tests in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand have a major injury concern going into the series, with Kane Williamson picking up a groin issue.

India are currently on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with 74.24 percentage points from 11 Test matches. Wins in each of their remaining eight Tests (three against New Zealand at home and five away against Australia) will take them to 85.09%, but the more realistic aim for them will be to make sure that they get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results.

India Test squad for the New Zealand series
Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt)

Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna